Russia's role in the development of the 21st century gas sector: economic and geopolitical perspective

This thesis focuses on the analysis of contemporary trends in the global gas sector by highlighting major milestones in the relationship between energy 'producer' and 'consumer' states, and assessing eventual development of the gas sector with a special emphasis on Transnational Corporations. The research applies a SWOT analysis (the assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of the Russian gas sector in order to promote a greater understanding of recent trends in the country's gas market, analyze its impact on the global gas industry, and provide an assessment for the future of the country's energy sector. In this regard, the study argues that the Russian gas sector is determined by the large scale of the country's territory, the dominance of gas in the fuel balance of the country, unstable economy of the gas industry, and emerging trends of the scarcity of gas. Based on the analysis of opportunities and challenges of creating a 'gas OPEC', the study concludes that there are prospects for a creation of such an organization in the long-run, due to growing gas demand. However, the thesis argues that in order for Russia to become a potential member of such an organization and promote further development of the country's gas sector, there is a need to diversify its gas supplies,..